Girlfriends – Girlfriend to Many, Best Friend to One

Before you read Melissa’s post, I want to share some exciting news with you. I will be a guest on WATC TV in Atlanta tomorrow (Thursday, October 28th) and I’d love to have you tune in. If you don’t live in the Atlanta area, you can view it live online at http://www.watc.tv/. It airs at 7 p.m. EST. The show is from 7 to 9 and I’m not sure exactly what time slot I’m scheduled for, but I sure hope you join me!

I’m so thankful Melissa Mashburn shared this wonderful post about girlfriends. Melissa is a woman who is passionately pursuing God every day by taking her everyday, ordinary life and placing it as an offering to Him. She’s a Daughter of the King, wife, mom, writer, speaker, and Pastor’s wife. Melissa is the founder of the blog “Mel’s World w/Melissa Mashburn”, co-founder of the Praise and Coffee Nights Ministry with Sue Cramer, Kids Ministry Director at her church, and just last year launched a new weekly series called Godly Gals ~ Real Women, Real Life, Real Faith where we meet new women each week who are “Taking their everyday, ordinary lives and placing it as their offering to God.” You can find her on twitter and at her blog. She loves encouraging women to live with an authentic faith by being transparent, renewed and transformed. ~ Romans 12:1-2.

Girlfriend to Many, Best Friend to One

It’s a funny thing, as women we crave community and relationships from other women, but those very same relationships and community can be the very thing that frustrates and overwhelms us.

I’ve thought about this a lot lately and finally come to the conclusion that I am a girlfriend to many, but truly a best friend to only one. I love being around people, I am by nature a people person and recovering people pleaser, but as I blossom in wisdom (which means I am getting older) and maturity I’ve begun to realize a few things.

As a girlfriend to many I put myself out there a lot, which means I have been bruised and blessed a lot. I have a passion to lead women into relationships with other women and also with their Creator. It’s just part of my DNA, but on the flip side as someone that is a girlfriend to many it is and has been hard for me to have a best friend.

I’m not sure if it is because I moved to three different schools while I was in high school, if it was the diversity of groups that I spent my time with growing up, or just because I am in ministry. Like I said, I’m not really sure why that is, but I know this…I love my girlfriends and couldn’t imagine doing life without them.

I have lots of different types of friends, I call them the S-Girls, and here they are; The Sappy Friend, The Silly Friend, The Sassy Friend, The Smart Friend, The Sporty Friend, The Stylish Friend, and The Speak the Truth Friend.

These girls may be different for you than they are for me, but to be quite honest, I couldn’t imagine my life without them. They challenge me, they encourage me, they bless me, they stretch me and to tell you the truth they make me a better person.

When it comes to a best friend though, I have to be straight up honest with you; I don’t really have a best girlfriend. Is that shocking? I have to admit, at times it does bother me, but then I think that for me, it’s just a great reminder that my girlfriends are the sprinkles on my cupcake.

The cupcake itself is my relationship with Christ, the icing is my relationship with my husband (who is probably my real best friend) and the beautiful sprinkles on top are the girls that color my life with their friendship.

There you have it…I’m a Girlfriend to Many, Best Friend to One.

I hope you were as blessed as I was to read Melissa’s story. My heart so echoes her heart for ministering to women and her relationships with the girlfriends of her world. Yay! I’m not the only one who is a girlfriend to many, but a best friend to only one – my husband. Of course, we know that while every relationship on earth is vital, Christ alone is the Friend who sticks closer than a brother. The One who will never leave us or forsake us and loves us with an unconditional and everlasting love!

Do you have a BFF? Do you sometimes feel as though you are a girlfriend to many, but best friend to one?

Same for me, girls. I thought I *needed* one best girl friend, but God has revealed to me how much richer my life is having lots of good friends, and enjoying the intimacy of getting to be married to my very best friend. I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all! So glad to know I'm not alone in this!!

Love those friend types- so true! I think the idea we have to have a best friend is not true, especially as we get older (beyond school where everything revolves around friendships). Love the cupcake analogy. Friends make great sprinkles!

Shelley ~ I'm so glad I'm not the only one. I think there is a trend – especially for women in ministry. We have the privilege of meeting so many wonderful ladies, we're blessed to have may friends! How awesome is that!

@Creations by Cindy, you are so very welcome, I am thankful you stopped by to visit a bit!

@Lynn Mosher, you, dear one, are such a sweet sprinkle on my cupcake, thank you for being YOU!

@Shelley Hendrix, oh my goodness girl, you have NO IDEA how much better I feel when I see that I am not the *only* one who struggles with whole one best girlfriend thing. God has been teaching me a whole lot about this very topic! {{hugs}}

@Sandra, thanks so much, as I sat and looked the women I'm blessed to call my friends they just started to jump out at me that they were the “S-Girls”. I think the variety helps to balance me out, ha! 🙂

@Lisa, girl, what a sweet sweet blessing you are to me, you are not only a sprinkle you are a star and I thank God for you often!

@Stephanie…thank you thank you thank you for allowing me to share a little piece of my heart in your world! xoxo, Mel <3

As always Melissa – a beautiful post. I just love the thought of girlfriends being the sprinkles on the cupcake! Growing up without any kind of real bond with my mother or sister my heart ached for a closeness with at least one other woman. As I have grown God has brought many women in and out of my life who have touched my heart deeply – it's been a true blessing. I have realized that it is Jesus alone that fills the hole my mother left untouched – Through the years I have seen that He can be both mother and father!! Then about 2 years ago He gave me a precious gift…a covenant friend. God never ceases to surprise me and bless me!

I feel guarded when people ask about a BFF, I just don't want to throw that title around. Somehow to me, I love calling someone a girlfriend. I don't know how to explain it but I love letting a woman know I consider them a girlfriend and am blessed to know them.